Late into the night Alura began to grumble while rolling over in bed. Moments later she grunted from a shove and the brisk footfalls, resulting in her moaning while pushing herself up and rubbing one eye. “...I’m trying to sleep…” she croaked, her tired eyes scanning the dimly lit room before resting on the silhouette of her brother standing by the door. “Talon, what are you doing up?”592Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ3OWizTwcBK
He looked back to her as she pushed away the blankets and got out of bed. “Come back to bed.” Talon shook his head and started out the door with his blanket in arm, pausing to wave for her to follow and continued into the hallway. Alura sighed and pursued her brother. “Where are you going? Get back here,” she whispered firmly.592Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡs6Cr4nXltR
Talon didn’t listen, making his way to the front door with his blanket held up around his face. Alura huffed as she came to stand beside him. “What’s up with you?” he pointed towards the door and released a small whimper before he took a step back. She looked to him then at the wooden construct confused. “I don’t get it.” Alura quietly commented with a hand resting on her hip. The black haired boy frowned and yanked on her nightgown. “Hey, stop!” Alura snapped hushly and set a firmly annoyed glare on him, before blinking upon seeing him tug on one of his ears that had a small outline of pale magic.592Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡsSZSFd2Hh3
“Huh, that’s new. When did you learn to…” he tugged his ear more until her eyes widened, then closed. “Fine, geez.” Alura sighed and opened her eyes to lightly glare at him. “Don’t go yanking your ear off. Mom might think I did it,” Alura grumbled and closed her eyes once more before she listened in the quiet home and sniffed the air. Moments later her eyes opened and she took Talon’s wrist. “We gotta wake Lizzie and her dad.”592Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡqQfuGAXBT6
The duo ran to the living room where, stretched out in a laid back recliner, slept Lizzie. Moving closer, Alura reached out and shook her. “Lizzie! Lizzie, wake up!” she urgently hissed.592Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡY71B30tT2g
“Neh wha?” Lizzie groaned, stirring, sitting up and rubbing her eyes. “It’s not time to harvest anything,” she sleepily replied just before a yawn escaped.592Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡiwwpxryvfr
“I smelled demons and Talon heard them,” Alura hastily explained and began to pull on the young woman’s arm. “We have to run!”592Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡiFGpxzuYv4
“Are you-” she pulled her arm free, “sure you weren’t both dreaming?”592Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ8s8Hbncp5H
The girl nodded quickly. “Yes because he woke me up and we really need to go, now.”592Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡMfb9LQTM29
“It was probably just someone passing by.” Talon shook his head and pulled on his ear again that was maintaining the soft outline of magic. “I’ll go look outside and around your room to show you it’s safe, alright?” Lizzie put the footrest down, moved aside the blanket while she stood and stepped towards the front room.592Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡm1tWcFRS0X
“Lizzie we aren’t lying,” Alura hissed before looking around and quickly stepping after her. She grabbed the young woman’s wrist with both hands and pulled back. “Don’t. Please,” she whispered desperately, worry twisting her face.592Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡv5Op7K5ibm
“I’ll be fine. There’s no one the-” Lizzie began softly before a loud knock came at the front door.592Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡYK8FN2Jvyv
“Hey, do you think I could have this one if she’s cute? You got the last human for a pet,” a light toned male voice asked from outside the door.592Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ04C818rsKp
Lizzie stepped back and carefully turned away, pulling the children with her. “Depends on how cute she is. You never can have too many cute humans.” Another male laughed outside and another knock, delivered harder, vibrated the door.592Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡHr6rRRLrBp
“What’s going on?” Drake grumbled as he came to his bedroom door, scratching his head.592Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡS4rz58PPz2
“Bad demons are at the door. We gotta go,” Lizzie hushly ordered her father before she halted. “What are you doing?!” she scolded sharply with another set of loud knocks echoing from the door.592Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡq53wIFzsfw
Drake had returned to his room, made his way to the closet where he began to shuffle around items. A moment later he returned with a sword in hand. “Go with the kids,” he ordered while extending the blade to her. “This won’t be a sight for women and children.”592Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡctjCcyhvsS
Lizzie hesitated but took the sheathed weapon. “Be safe.” She whispered and slipped away with the pair.592Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡoyWaHHVlbr
Drake walked to the kitchen, grabbed a chair and moved by the door with a tight grip on the back of the piece of furniture. The door flew open and in walked a humanoid boar with black fur carrying a broadsword. The demon scanned the room as he took another step with his hooved feet. Drake stayed silent as the beast appeared to either ignore him or had not yet noticed him.592Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡJ5O8b8QkrH
As the demon continued further in, Drake carefully lifted the chair, took aim and brought it down hard as he could. Wood shattering and the sound of flesh being struck filled the room along with the noise of blood splattering. The boar narrowed his sharp eyes on the human before he forced his blade free and walked away to explore the home. The last sound in the silent home was the soft ‘thud’ of a limp body.592Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡys9Ne2v8Kp
Outside Lizzie was backing up with the sword pointed at two demons, a boar and snake, and keeping both kids behind her. “Stay back!” she barked with a faint siren in the distance.592Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡj8CgMqbvMd
“Just give us the kids and you’ll be my little pet, deal?” the snake demon hissed with a grin and his tongue slipping out.592Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ3o7MZKlVzH
“Forget it! No one is touching them while I’m still breathing.” She swung the sword, causing the snake to step back and the boar to chuckle.592Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡwBLOEf7oQp
“I do love a good newbie.” The boar chuckled and gave a toothy grin with his tusks.592Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡruv3m4G8Jx
Lizzie shot a glare at the boar and pointed the blade at him. “You’re staying back too.”592Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡMWt71Yg3d0
The boar snorted and set his eyes on the children that were hugging each other. “Like you’re going to stop us.” He turned his sight back to the young woman. “How about you give us the brats and maybe we won’t take you as a prize. Sound like a good deal?” Lizzie frowned and shifted to better stand in front of the kids, sword held by both hands at the ready. “Hah, alright then. I don’t mind some bloodshed.”592Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡCnHdBb6FD7
Both stepped closer. The snake demon swung his blade down only for her to catch it with hers. Lizzie’s arms shook while he slowly applied more pressure. From the otherside, the boar demon lifted his sword high and brought it down fast. She closed her eyes tightly, her body tensed. “NO!” Alura cried and cowered down to shield Talon. The last sound to enter the air was a sharp, ringing echo.592Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡD8ibPznZ0d
Meanwhile during the attack on the orchard, in the capital city screaming filled the air. “He did what?!” Knight Colin shrieked, turned and deflected a downward strike of a morning star. “I never ordered anyone to leave their post!” she shouted with a grunt of exertion as her blade found a home through the flesh of the furred demon between its chestplate and pauldrons. Colin turned annoyedly to the familiar squire. “Who holds the left mid position?”592Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ9WUv8y2FJj
“It’s-ah! Guard Jobine and his squire, Ma’am,” the squire answered quickly, panting and ducking a slice from a wide broadsword. He swiftly darted forward with a short yell, which ended with the sickening sound of steel through flesh. “Ser Galenod insisted-ugh! That he needed to visit the orchard girl,” he shakily explained as he forced his blade out of the beasts exposed midsection.592Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡORF2eohhfg
During this explanation Colin had deflected another morning star strike and managed to strike up through the persistent demon’s chin. “That damn bastard,” she growled lowly and pulled her blade free. “How dare he disobey orders?”592Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡkBMn1A4Vim
“Look out!” the squire yelled and charged, his blade pulled back at his side and ready to thrust.592Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡqkQX8E3PIJ
Knight Colin whipped around and rolled right. The goat demon telegraphed her move perfectly as he swung his mace, catching her in the shoulder and denting her armor. Knight Colin hissed and winced in pain as she felt the metal dig into her padding and flesh. She quickly deflected another strike, leaving the demon wide open. Quickly the knight drove her blade straight into the leather covered chest of the beast as the young man drove his blade into the side. Knight Colin pulled her blade out and inhaled sharply. "Damn it," she said while she moved her hand to her shoulder.592Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡeRUx2ZDBd6
“Are you okay?” he stumbled back after he yanked his bloody weapon free and approached the knight.592Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡao9YEtoHOi
“Yes, just a bump.”592Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡUKF0wooo4M
“Then…” a gun fired, throwing Colin forwards with a cry of pain, holding her shoulder tight as she could at the sparking indent. “How about I help you no longer feel it?” a male voice inquired calmly.592Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ5EU3XIV68N
“Knight Colin!” the young man exclaimed while he dropped to her side. He moved in front of her and took her arm, only to release it and stare wide eyed and fallen faced at the red liquid staining his hand. The squire turned his head to glare at the shooter, only for his narrowed sight to fall into shock.592Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡG9it6HBq6F
The humanoid equine demon lowered his rifle. “They opped for more close range. It pays to have others with more brains...for his Emperor’s glory to be fulfilled.”592Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ60WTmBhtcB
“That’s-that’s a big demon…” he softly stuttered and tried to help Colin up as she pushed to her feet.592Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡxsqS2eUfxP
“Yeah but that doesn’t mean they can’t be taken down.” Knight Colin looked at the demon and brandished her blade with her good arm on top.592Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ5p3jqrvAFM
The horse demon chuckled with a neigh. “So funny but I will end your suffering from your horribly short lives.” He rose the firearm, cocked the hammer and took aim at the squire.592Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ2WWOaOpekQ
The young man took a few steps toward the demon, only to stop when Colin ran in front of him. “No!” he shouted as the gun fired once, twice, three times and came to a silence with the sound of flesh severing by a blade. The squire charged up and swung with a yell, slicing into the demon’s hand. He cut through downward, brought his blade up and swung at his full extension. Flesh was severed and broken, blood fell like heavy rain and the last movement of the trio was the crumpling of bodies and armor hitting the stone street.592Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡnyO4vdiGfi
Back at the orchard, Lizzie slowly opened her eyes and turned her head and looked up. Her eyes widened in shock. Galenod shoved the boar demon’s blade away and swung at a downward angle, causing the beast to take a few steps back. The guard then used the back of his armored hand to knock the snake’s weapon to the side. Seeing her chance, Lizzie slashed the blade horizontal which caused the reptile to jump back out of reach.592Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡgQ6XDPGYgP
“You alright miss?” Galenod offered a hand while he kept an eye on both demons.592Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡeLJdXvAUxf
“Yes I’m fine. Thanks.” Lizzie took the help and stood, readying her blade once more with a focus on the snake. Briefly she glanced back at Alura comforting a sniffling Talon and back to the reptile. “...I want you to run with the kids.”592Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡgvSexPGgsE
“Wait what? I’m not abandoning a woman in need.” The guard firmly stated and shifted his body to follow the boar with his blade.592Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡrwBF96F2cV
“Yes you are and I’m not in need. I’ll be fine.” She countered and huffed. “I will be fine on my own.”592Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡCQ8yjIao2q
“Sure you will be. Just like how you were fine before I came in and saved you from slaughter.”592Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡfQHMr1CQzS
Lizzie growled in her throat. “Fine then, if you won’t listen to me,” she grumbled under her breath. “Kids?” the young woman said clearer. “I want you to run for the docks and get on an airship. Go anywhere away from here, understand?”592Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡWNFcwSsf8G
“What in the hell is going on in your head woman?!”592Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡhs6osvvJto
“What? But-but Lizzie! We can’t leave you here alone!” Alura nearly shouted back with tears in the corners of her eyes.592Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡSShQdXcPhf
“I’ll be fine and so will you. Mister Guard is going to protect you.”592Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡseVtMdafVH
“...I swear woman, if you end up getting yourself or them killed…” Galenod grumbled irritatedly.592Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ5fJVif5V14
Lizzie tightened her grip on the hilt. “RUN!”592Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ40oYY412We
“Come on!” Alura said quickly and pulled Talon up, leading the way with his hand in hers. Talon wiped his eyes and ran as quickly as his little legs could.592Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡjMFMlEs6Y9
The two demons charged after. Galenod followed and swung his sword at the boar’s face, bringing him to a brief halt. The guard ran after Alura and Talon, sheathing his blade. Calmly the boar followed. “Let the hunt continue.” The boar quietly commented under his breath with a smile. When he was farther from the squabbling duo, he touched his helmet on the right side. “Available troops, I need at least three or four of you. The target prey is heading North.”592Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡdpObOk3RUq
Simultaneously during this, Lizzie slashed the snake in the leg. He fell and twisted his body, slicing into the side of her ribcage. Both fell with Lizzie’s face twisted tightly in pain as she held the bleeding wound. He stumbled while he stood and proceeded after the kids. The young woman hissed and grunted with a push. She lunged forward, grabbing his tail and bit it. “Hey!” he shouted and jerked his tail left and right but Lizzie held on.592Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡlNeTRQhe7E
“You...aren’t...touching them,” she ordered between pants.592Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡHKcgmAIJFC
The snake snarled and bent down, grabbing the back of her nightgown. “I’m going to have fun breaking you.”592Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡioEch7KO9H
Lizzie glared back, not breaking eye contact. “Try it.”
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